1. Outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 disease treated with tocilizumab: a case–controlled study.
- Author
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Rojas-Marte, G, Khalid, M, Mukhtar, O, Hashmi, A T, Waheed, M A, Ehrlich, S, Aslam, A, Siddiqui, S, Agarwal, C, Malyshev, Y, Henriquez-Felipe, C, Sharma, D, Sharma, S, Chukwuka, N, Rodriguez, D C, Alliu, S, Le, J, and Shani, J
- Subjects
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COVID-19 , *CYTOKINE release syndrome , *DYSPNEA , *FUNGEMIA , *TOCILIZUMAB - Abstract
Background COVID-19 is an ongoing threat to society. Patients who develop the most severe forms of the disease have high mortality. The interleukin-6 inhibitor tocilizumab has the potential to improve outcomes in these patients by preventing the development of cytokine release storm. Aims To evaluate the outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 disease treated with the interleukin-6 inhibitor tocilizumab. Methods We conducted a retrospective, case–control, single-center study in patients with severe to critical COVID-19 disease treated with tocilizumab. Disease severity was defined based on the amount of oxygen supplementation required. The primary endpoint was the overall mortality. Secondary endpoints were mortality in non-intubated patients and mortality in intubated patients. Results A total of 193 patients were included in the study. Ninety-six patients received tocilizumab, while 97 served as the control group. The mean age was 60 years. Patients over 65 years represented 43% of the population. More patients in the tocilizumab group reported fever, cough and shortness of breath (83%, 80% and 96% vs. 73%, 69% and 71%, respectively). There was a non-statistically significant lower mortality in the treatment group (52% vs. 62.1%, P = 0.09). When excluding intubated patients, there was statistically significant lower mortality in patients treated with tocilizumab (6% vs. 27%, P = 0.024). Bacteremia was more common in the control group (24% vs. 13%, P = 0.43), while fungemia was similar for both (3% vs. 4%, P = 0.72). Conclusion Our study showed a non-statistically significant lower mortality in patients with severe to critical COVID-19 disease who received tocilizumab. When intubated patients were excluded, the use of tocilizumab was associated with lower mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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